Tracheal resection and primary anastomosis through a cervical incision in a child with a tracheal mass causing near total occlusion of the upper trachea

Abstract

Tracheal resections are uncommon procedures in children. A tracheal resection is usually indicated for short-segment tracheal stenosis or tracheal tumours. A tracheal resection is very demanding, and success demands a collaborative effort from the anaesthesiologist, the ear, nose, and throat surgeons and the pulmonologist. Up to 50% of the trachea can be safely resected with good preoperative and intraoperative planning. The surgical approach to the trachea depends on the location and the extent of the lesions. In this case report, we describe the upper tracheal resection with an end-to-end anastomosis through a cervical incision in an 8-year-old child who presented with a large upper tracheal tumour causing near total occlusion of the trachea. The histopathological analysis of the mass indicated it was a schwannoma.

Keywords: Thoracic; Trachea; Tracheal resection; Tracheal surgery; Tumor resection.